Ripley Adaptations, Ranked, From ‘Purple Noon’ to ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’

Tom Ripley has become a genre in himself. In 1955, author Patricia Highsmith published “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” a viciously smart psychological thriller featuring an all-time villain at its center. A small-time con artist who slithers him way into the social circle of a rich playboy he develops a consuming obsession with. Both charming and horrifying, with a thirst for wealth that’s equally as relatable as it is repulsive, Ripley burns on the page as an absolutely indelible character.

Unsurprisingly, Ripley has become the type of juicy role that actors kill to play. And that’s lead to three genuinely great adaptations of the novel. The book first found its way onto screen as “Purple Noon,” starring a prime Alain Delon as Tom Ripley. And then, of course, there’s the acclaimed 1999 adaptation from director Anthony Minghella, featuring an all-star cast led by Matt Damon as the title character with Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, and Philip Seymour Hoffman in supporting roles. A queer classic, the 1999 film has proved an inspiration for many psychosexual thrillers about a lust for wealth — think of all the comparisons that “Saltburn” inspired when the divisive Emerald Fennell film hit streaming this November. Now, the book is getting its most extensive adaptation in “Ripley,” a limited series from Steven Zaillian. Originally made for Showtime and filmed in stark black and white, the show features Andrew Scott as a particularly reptilian version of the character, making for one of the best performances from the great actor.

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Thanks to these adaptations, “The Talented Mr. Ripley” is easily Highsmith’s most famous novel. But it isn’t her only book to feature the character; the author wrote five novels following Ripley’s schemes, including “Ripley Under Ground,” “Ripley’s Game,” “The Boy Who Followed Ripley,” and Ripley Under Water.” Barring a surprise second season order for the Andrew Scott series, there’s never been an attempt to make a continuous film series adapting the Ripley books. But, there have been adaptations of other novels in Highsmith’s series, including 2002’s “Ripley’s Game” starring John Malkovich, and 1977’s “The American Friend,” directed by Wim Wenders and starring Dennis Hopper in the lead role. All of these films are radically different, but all stand on their own as impressive thrillers and fascinating character studies.

With “Ripley” now streaming on Netflix, IndieWire decided to examine the full history of Ripley films, in order to determine which stands as the definitive version of the character. Read on for every Tom Ripley film, ranked from worst to best.

With editorial contributions from Ben Travers.

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